On St. Helena Island, South Carolina, a group of Gullah Geechee residents are suing to maintain visitation rights to a cemetery filled with their ancestors after developers attempted to build over the burial site, according to Capital B. Established in the 1880s, the residents say the land is sacred because it houses the graves of Black American enslaved people and their descendants.
The 2024 lawsuit contests Beaufort County’s decision to allow developers to approve a residential development atop the cemetery and claims the project could destroy the graves. According to Capital B, one of the plaintiffs, the St. Helena Island African American Heritage Preservation Society, claims that developers improperly overlooked the site’s historical significance prior to approvals.
A plaintiff’s representative stated, “This cemetery connects us to our ancestors who endured slavery and built this community. We cannot tolerate disrespect for their last resting place.”…